What it all comes down to

By: -it-all

I don't own Harry Potter, though it relieves the stress to play around with them.

Please read and review

Chapter 1: terrible mistakes and remorseful regrets

I walked with urgency and fear guiding me as my heart fluttered painfully at what may have been- because of my ignorance. My thoughts remained with a certain young boy, one who may lie dying- all because of me. I thought they would protect him as their own, but from what I've only just heard I may have ended an innocent child's life by handing him over to relatives who only thought of this small boy as their unwanted burden. I knew if we lost him, the guilt I felt would kill me, but not before the emptiness ate me from the inside- out.

I reached my destination, but instead of felling slightly better knowing the boy would receive help, I only shook more noticeably knowing how Severus would react to my refusal to fetch him myself. He would put up a fight- that is until I tell him under which circumstances he would be needed… Harry Potter could be dead, because of my foolishness I would never live down.

With a quivering breath I rasped harshly on the cold wooded door leading to Severus's chambers, where he would most likely be brewing, some sort of Potion, it being summer that's all he seemed to do. I heard shuffling from within and quickly let my hand slip into the other where I wrung them trying and failing to rid myself of my nervous shaking. The tall, lean man then stood before me looking slightly surprised since I only ever bothered him this time of night…if something was amiss, which I knew there was.

"Albus…did you need something, is something the matter?" Hi brows were drawn tightly together as he took in what must only be my guilt-ridden face, and shaking frame. I cleared my throat knowing wasting any more time was not an option. "Severus I must ask a favor of you one of urgent circumstances." His once surprised expression immediately turned a different leaf, one of alert attentiveness as he inclined his head awaiting what I must have to say. I sighed and began what I knew would start a fight with the younger man.

"Severus you must fetch Harry from his residence immediately he…" His facial featured contorted as I anticipated his outburst, which indeed came. "Albus I will not as always you have asked o much of me and I refuse to pick up the brat when I have finally rid myself of him if only for the summer, I will not do it." I could not sit and argue and my usually controlled nerves whirled dangerously as I spoke. "Severus enough this cannot wait Arabella fire-called me saying that an ambulance was on its way to Harry's residence… some neighbors heard a commotion from the home and saw Harry's uncle beat him mercilessly, then he burnt him with a fire poker, but not before stabbing him with a knife. Harry then fell as a crash was heard." "Severus… Harry may very well be dead." "All they heard afterwards were screams from what they believed were from his aunt and cousin." "How did the neighbors see all this?" Severus asked now more than a little concerned, his face distant though I know every bit of information was stored judging how his eyes stared deeply into mine, he then snapped out of what seemed to be a memory to listen to my every word. "From what I heard… his Uncle wanted the world to see Harry's freakishness – and to teach Harry a lesson, but he pulled him inside before they heard the crash." "All they could really make out where Harry's screams as well as a struggle before the crash was heard."

Severus waited no longer he knew what he needed to do. "I will bring him back Albus – I promise by it." I only nodded as he pulled his clock on and swept past me leaving his quarter doors wide open. I closed them and went to inform Poppy who would be leaving in a few days time to prepare a bed for one Harry Potter whether he would make it here alive or not. I knew Severus would do whatever it cost to bring the small boy to the only place he called home. I can now comprehend exactly what he meant when he spoke those words to me only a few days prior to his departure. Oh I never should have let him go, but now it may very well be too late. It was a terrible mistake to let him step foot onto platform nine and three quarters, a mistake not even magic could solve. I would simply have to wait and see what damage I caused,
"Oh please hurry Severus."

Severus:

I walked swiftly down the road of Privet drive nearly having a heart attack as sirens were heard drawing ever closer their red and blue lights flashing in the ever approaching distance. The neighbors were strewn about in panic speaking almost incoherently of murder and scandal in their own yards. Their screams mixing with the words and my heart almost stopped because if so many believed that Potter was dead it must be true. Thought the moment I thought that I mentally smacked myself for almost believing in what panicked stander-bys had to say in believing whatever the next piece of gossip was in such a situation as this.

I quickly whispered a concealment charm and cautiously approached the house in which the loudest screams were to be heard lights flickering on and off seen from the windows of the house. I suddenly realized the screams came from Potter's aunt Petunia and as I approached I was utterly surprised to hear her screaming at her husband and not Harry wherever he may be inside, as well as in what condition he was in. I took the opportunity their spout gave me and slipped inside.

Immediately the screaming intensified and I spotted the two in the hallway Petunia I noticed blocking what seemed to be a small broom cupboard as if life depended on it, and I felt as if I should know it did. I could now make out exactly what was being said and my shock only intensified. "I can't take this anymore Vernon I've stood helpless to Harry and Dudley both for far too long, and now I don't care whether you were to kill me now, but you will not harm Harry any longer I will not stand for it!" Her face was red and she trembled from the effort she exerted in her words as if she had held them within for far too long. I was only shocked by this because once Albus alerted me of this I assumed Petunia would be in on this too as Lily always told me she resented her for her magic.

Now I watched as she turned from whom she called Vernon to a slightly smaller boy I assumed was Dudley and in a surprisingly calm voice spoke to the trembling boy. "Dudley go pack all your things, if anything that you don't necessarily need arises leave it - we are leaving you will not be exposed to this any longer." He shook his head before stuttering helplessly "B-But mum w-what about H-Harry." She hugged him tightly and said this "We will not leave until Harry is safe from this place… I promise." He then agreed and ran to the stairs and halted his face suddenly turning pale, as all eyes including mine turned to him and I stared in shock at the pool of blood that stood in stark contrast to the white floors directly below the staircase with a good sized dent next to it. "Dudley…go," he then stepped tenderly over it and ran the rest of the way upstairs tears running down his face knowing as did I how the blood came to be there. It didn't take a scientist to figure out that Potter had more than likely been pushed down the stairs.

It was only then that I revealed myself to the pacing Petunia as I heard Vernon growl from behind. I watched as he then turned after one last attempt at the door leading to the cupboard before he turned and ran, though I was prepared and with one flick of the wrist he fell with a harsh thud to the floor which shook under his massive weight. Petunia who was still recovering from the shock of it all only sobbed upon seeing me and knowing I was there to help Harry pulled the beaten looking cupboard door open revealing upon closer inspection Potter, now only lay still and unmoving. I only got to see him for a moment before what looked to be muggle authorities burst through the door. I only had a moment to inspect the entire interior before Petunia and I both were bombarded with questions as was the other boy of Petunias as he had only just come downstairs with a single bulging suitcase.

Collective gasps were heard and ambulance workers were called in the moment they laid eyes on the small, deteriorating boy in the cupboard. Petunia motioned to her unconscious husband as she explained what had happened and how Vernon had snuck downstairs while they were all sleeping to "punish the boy" as he would always claim. I watched as they quickly loaded the boy onto a stretcher and I knew he wouldn't make it, not my Muggle means as so I quickly followed out wishing my best wishes to both Petunia and Dudley. She as well as made sure I kept Harry safe she spoke this quietly so only I could hear. "Severus please keep Harry safe take him to Hogwarts with you anywhere far away from here, give him a good home, and tell him I'm sorry I only wished him the best." I nodded as she teared up and I swiftly followed the unconscious boy to the ambulance a plan already forming in my head. I would upon arrival to the hospital oblivate the police escorts as well as the ambulance personnel and any others who may be aware of the boys arrival and replace it with a memory that the boy had been moved to a different hospital farther from here where another family member would care for him if in fact he actually survived.

I was sure it would work and knowing it would cause many issues to say that Potter had died in the home at the scene of the crime not only in the muggle world, but especially in the wizarding world. If anyone even heard that Harry Potter had died in his muggle relatives home an uproar would occur and I imagine Albus would be in more trouble then he likely already will be in. Yes this would work.

They were about to close the doors of the ambulance whose sirens wailed obscuring the view of the injured and dying boy from neighboring eyes. I quickly hid myself from view with a quick concealment charm and slid into a seat next to the boy where inside many personnel worked in an efforts attempt to stabilize the boy whose breathing became more erratic and his chest rose and fell, but only decreased its hold every few seconds. I knew I had to hurry, every second counted down to his last. I looked down in unconcealed pity at Potter, whose glasses were broken on his ghostly face, his eyes dark in the middles as his pupils remained dilated the rims were shadows, a stark color against his sickly, pale complexion. His mouth was agape as blood dripped from the corner where likely a broken jaw awaited repair. His once green, lively eyes stood vacant and open, but unseeing there iris hues darkened as they stared at me with tantalizing fear.

I continued to take in the sight of something I thought were impossible to ever see on a mere child, let alone someone who was said to be the world's savior from the dark lord. Though for now on Potter would always be a child who has carried too much to bear and collapsed because of what he had to life through and stay strong through. I watched as if in shocked silence as blood trickled from a wound on his side where his arms now rested as if even in unconsciousness and close to death he attempted to hide his wounds, something I now wondered if to him it was a normal occurrence those first few months back at Hogwarts.

Bruises and cuts adorned his face, arms, and what was seen of his legs though I was sure more would be discovered under the massive clothes he wore at the moment were gone and replaced with better clothes that fit his now extremely small frame. I couldn't see where his uncle burnt him with the hot poker but I did see a rather large knot on the top of his head where blood had appeared to stick and dry in his hair. I felt sick knowing someone could do this to a child and feel nothing at all and saying he was a freak and deserved it crossed too many well- drawn lines, which all of them Vernon Dursley had passed without glancing back once.

I only withdrew from my thoughts when a sound out of the ordinary, frantic tones was heard. A single gasp was heard, one that silenced the entire Ambulance that only continued to drive its way to the hospital. I looked quickly to be sure Potter hadn't made such a strange sound and nearly passed out by what I knew was happening.

Potter was lain on the stretcher just as bruised as he was only seconds before, but something was wrong, amiss. Immediately I knew what as Potter opened his eyes which had closed upon his gasp for air and a tear slide down to his cheek, he knew as did I. His intake of breath then was unnatural, incomplete, and it faltered and did at his lips. His chest fell still, and a ghost-like form took shape over his entire body. By this time the ambulance had reached the hospital, and we all lurched unsteadily as it halted.

I watched helplessly as everything seemed to move in slow-motion as they carried the young boy into the hospital on the stretcher, his green eyes wide and fearful, but dead looking deeply into mine, and I could not move even when I had my plan to obliviate the personnel, I knew I could not do it now though, Potter is dead. If there were any way to bring him back - this would be our only option. By the time we made it to Hogwarts it would be too late, he would be too far gone to be helped.

I sucked in a breath as immediately my well-placed concealment charm fell as I stood on shaking legs and walked through the two sliding doors toward wherever Potter must be found. I knew well enough that Potter could very well die just by having muggle treatment done to him especially when he is already so injured and pronounced dead once already, and could still be. His entire magical core could have already faltered by the strain, and it would know by unable to protect him from whatever muggle treatment it could be given. I only wish there were another way, though I knew either way Potter could very well be dead.

I located the information and registration desks and requested information on where Mr. Potter was located and what floor I should move to. The younger woman who sat behind the desk only hesitated slightly before saying I would have to wait as he was still in Emergency, before he would be moved to the intensive care unit. I wondered why I could not go back there and only nodded before retreating to a private room set off to the side. I unsheathed my wand and sent off a silver doe which pawed gingerly at my outstretched hand before it disappeared only leaving a wisp of silver smoke to inform Dumbledore of all that had occurred and where I was located.

I now only waited for information on whether Potter would ever make it back to Hogwarts alive again. I retreated to a near-by waiting room as the true smells of a muggle hospital hit me with a strength I could not comprehend, and I truly felt sorrow for Potter at this moment, Potter who may never live to be sixteen.